Police Portfolio Committee chairperson Ian Cameron has recommended that an independent inquiry and integrity commission be urgently established to investigate explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Cameron was speaking at the Safety and Security Cluster media briefing on Monday, saying these should be conducted with a clear timeline and scope.
He said the allegations made by Mkhwanazi highlight a crisis of integrity in the SAPS and the whole of the criminal justice system.
“If what has been said is true, it explains why the system has not been able to effectively arrest the ever-increasing criminality in the country.
Systematic weakening of police to enable graft
“The allegations are not only damning to a few individuals. It indicates a whole systematic weakening of the police to enable corruption and to undermine the rule of law,” said Cameron.
He also emphasised the importance of freezing all dockets mentioned by Mkhwanazi until an independent body can properly investigate them.
“I think it is a massive risk to just leave them in the system after what we heard yesterday,” said Cameron.
He said an external and independent body must also be appointed to conduct lifestyle audits for all senior officers, starting from the rank of brigadier upwards. He also raised concerns about the current lack of vetting and security clearance in senior positions.
Cameron said there was no trust in the current authorities to carry out these vetting exercises and insisted that an independent institution or body must take on the role.
He said this matter calls for urgent intervention from President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he accepts that Ramaphosa will attend to this matter after his return from Brazil. Cameron said it should be noted as top priority.
Matthew Parks, Cosatu parliamentary coordinator, also called on Ramaphosa to bring in an independent commission of enquiry to investigate the allegations.
“The nature of these allegations is extremely serious and will undermine the confidence that society has in law enforcement and its ability to ensure the safety of ordinary citizens and the rule of law,” said Parks.
March to back Mkhwanazi planned
Meanwhile, there are plans for a massive march in Durban on Tuesday next week to show support for KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The march is in response to Mkhwanazi’s Sunday accusations of political meddling against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, which caused a stir.
Mchunu’s decision to abruptly disband the political killings task team in December 2024 and his alleged affiliation with Vusi “Cat” Matlala through Brown Mogotsi—which, according to Mkhwanazi, resulted in the two having classified police information—were the main accusations against him. However, both individuals are civilians.
The press conference on Sunday left KwaZulu-Natal, where Mkhwanazi enjoys huge public support, and the country divided on his intentions for revealing the explosive information that also implicated the national deputy police commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, in wrongdoing.
SA citizens must protect Mkhwanazi
The march is being planned by an organisation called Concerned Citizens of South Africa (CCSA), which is based in Durban.
Ntokozo Mkhize, the national spokesperson for CCSA, informed Sunday World that “there is no going back this time around”.
He made reference to the previous march in support of Mkhwanazi, which was abruptly cancelled early this year.
“We have just come out of a meeting with the security cluster to brief them about the routes we intend to use from Curries Fountain to provincial headquarters of the SAPS [SA Police Service] in Durban,” said Mkhize.
“The law-abiding people of this country must come out in their numbers to protect Mkhwanazi.”
He said that the organisation stands firmly behind Mkhwanazi.
The purpose of the march is to convey to those in authority that everyone deserves justice, that those in positions of authority should be held responsible for their actions, and that people want to be led with integrity.
ActionSA to hold demonstration
The organisation has called for Mchunu’s resignation or removal from his position in a press statement about the march.
“In the spirit of solidarity and justice, we invite all law-abiding citizens to join us in a peaceful mass action to stand in support of Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and to demand the immediate removal of Minister Senzo Mchunu,” reads the statement.
“Let’s unite our voices and show that we will not tolerate corruption, interference, or abuse of power.”
In the meantime, ActionSA has announced that, in response to Mkhwanazi’s shocking accusations, it will lead a demonstration outside the SAPS’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial headquarters on Wednesday to call for immediate action to address the growing crisis within the SAPS and the larger criminal justice system.
The party said it will continue to support all legitimate and lawful efforts to root out corruption and tackle South Africa’s rampant crime rate.
“This must begin with confronting those within law enforcement who actively undermine these efforts from within,” it said.
